Angel
by Arania
Summary: A short story about Erik's final moments.


Title: Angel  
  
Rating: G  
  
Summary: Just a short fic inspired by the novel where the real Angel of Music visits Erik.  
  
Angel  
  
Paris bustled with its usual festivity of around Christmas time. The lights were bright, the people joyous, and the mood carefree. It was cold, but even the urchins without homes felt warmed by the closeness of man, and encouraged by the extra donations they got from passers by. There were many who would have told you there was not a heavy heart in all of Paris, and they were almost, but not completely right. There was one soul that was the epitome misery, in the black depths of despair and would find no comfort; no one would ease his terrible anguish.  
  
He sat there, alone and cold, retched, in the final days of his life. The terrible darkness had begun closing in about him and he was haunted by the ghosts of his past which cried out to him, questioning why he had chosen to bring their lives to a premature end. The way this terrible creature had haunted the dreams of others was now being turned on him and there was no escape, even in death he would be followed by the phantoms.  
  
"Erik." The voices of ghosts faded and he could hear only one clear voice calling to him.  
  
"Can't you leave me be? Why must you haunt me before I've even died? Isn't eternity long enough for you spirits?"  
  
"Erik, you will listen to me." The voice was insistent. "Look at me, Erik."  
  
"Leave me alone."  
  
"Erik, you must listen to me. Please, my child."  
  
It was the last part that got Erik's attention. No one had ever called him that. He turned to look at the voice and saw there a figured clothed in white. She was neither a woman nor a girl and looked neither grown nor a child. She smiled at him a way no other had, not afraid to look at his face, no sign of the usual revulsion that people looked at him with, no fear in her eyes.  
  
"Who are you? Why have you come here?"  
  
"Has it been so long, Erik? Can you not remember me?"  
  
Erik did not answer. He did remember seeing one like her, but did not know where. The girl spoke again.  
  
"They let me come to you, Erik, because I cared for you when no one else did. I know you are sorry Erik, for what you've done and you've been loyal to me, you've used your gifts well."  
  
Erik did not answer again, he was trying to remember a far off time when he saw a face smile at him without fear and looked at him with love. "You're."  
  
"Yes Erik, I was the one who leaned over you in your cradle and sang to you when no one else would. I tried to save you, Eric."  
  
"I wish you'd never come to me. Why did you leave me like this?" With tears in his eyes he gestured at the face which had been covered so often for so many years. "Why did you make them hate me?"  
  
The girl looked at him sadly. "Erik, that was not my doing or even within my control. I do not decide things such as that. They told me I should not bestow my gift on one so unlikely to be able to use it and yet I did. I gave you a chance, Erik, because I was the only one who loved you when no one else did. I gave you music, in hopes that they would overlook what was on the outside and love you for the music. Even when you pretended to be me to that girl, I still believed in you. You showed so little faith outside, but every time you sang or played or composed I knew part of you was still good.."  
  
"Angel of Music, what now do you want of me?"  
  
The angel shook her head, crying for the man she had given as much as she could, and had still been unable to save from the prejudice of humanity. "I require nothing more of you, Erik. You used my gift, and believed in me despite yourself. You would have been great had it not been for stupidity, and even though your soul is stained, you have washed it clean with your love and so I have come again to you."  
  
"I don't understand." He shook his head.  
  
"I've come for you, Erik. I now can give you what should have been yours." With that the angel stepped toward him, knelt by his side and kissed his cheek, her tears falling on his cheek. And then in a second Erik was no longer a pitiful creature but his appearance was as beautiful as his music. He looked in surprise at his own hands and knew that he was free of the carcass which had imprisoned his soul.  
  
The angel smiled at him. "Come Erik, it's time to go." She held out her hand to him and Erik took it. Many say that Erik's body was found long after he died, but Erik himself, and everything he was had long left with the Angel of Music to go to the place where no one cared that he had worn a mask his entire life.  
  
The End 


End file.
